Archive for May 2, 2018

Today, New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced its six-member Hall of Fame induction class for 2018.

Two of the greatest players in their respective sports were amongst the six selected for this year: field hockey’s Tracey Fuchs and soccer’s Abby Wambach.

Tracey Fuchs, a product of Centereach (N.Y.), was one of the all-time great scorers in American field hockey, beginning with her time playing for the legendary Nancy Cole, who Fuchs follows into the Hall after her 2004 induction. Fuchs, playing on grass fields with wooden sticks, scored 82 goals in one season and 171 for her career, marks which would not be approached en masse for three decades.

Fuchs took her talents to UConn, winning a national title and All-America honors. She played for the U.S. national team, helping the Applebees qualify for the 1988 Olympics and helped guide the Americans to a bronze medal at the 1994 FIH World Cup.

Wambach, for her part, led Rochester Our Lady of Mercy (N.Y.) to three Section V titles in soccer, then, her freshman year, helped power Florida to the national championship. Similarly, in her rookie season as a professional, she helped will the Washington Freedom to the 2003 WUSA championship. Her header was the last golden goal in a FIFA-sanctioned league match, and it was the last game ever in the league, which folded a month later.

Wambach, however, kept on playing for the U.S. women’s national team, scoring a world record 184 goals for the Hammers. She helped power the United States to gold medals in three consecutive Olympics, scoring an overtime winner at Athens 2004. She would cap off her career with a cameo in the 2015 World Cup, coming on long after Carly Lloyd’s 16-minute hat trick put the matter to bed early.